The Children of ARES
by HoodieNinja20
Summary: Four children on their way to becoming Hunters of Vale. Four pasts filled with tragedy. Four broken souls on their way to redemption. One final path to decide their fates. Will they make the right choice? (Rated M for Blood and Language)


What is a hero?

If you asked the common person this question and they bothered to give you a good response, chances are that you would get the same answer. When a life is in danger, a hero will always rise up to save it. When innocent people are threatened by an evil threat, a hero is the one who stands between it and them in order to protect them. A hero's blades are always shining with honor, integrity and good judgment as they do battle with their nemeses. A hero's hands are always white when they grace the children, men and women. Even the birthplaces of a hero is untainted, the extent of their origins carrying not so much as a blemish.

The optimist and those stricken with naivety would embrace this view of a hero with open arms and a cup of warm cocoa. But the realist and pessimist would see it as a false and exaggerated statement.

In a fairy tale, tall tale or other stories of the sort, the above belief would be one-hundred percent true. But in reality, where souls collided and mixed with one another, it would have truth in only half of the world. In the other half, heroes aren't that perfect. They can come from places of criminal occupation, times of hardship, and people who know nothing but how to sin. Those sins can spread, on accident or purpose, to those heroes and infect the expected white sheet. They may save a life, but won't do it for the sake of saving that life. They may protect the weak, but never for the purpose of protecting the weak. They would rather do it for their own personal gain, with the actions of a hero being nothing more than a side effect. In fact, if they had a chance to do the same things that the villain did, they would most likely perform those actions with little to no hesitation.

* * *

_Through the sands of a cactus-filled desert, two bandits are riding horseback. They are parallel with one another and separated by train tracks. The sun is beating on their backs, and the horses are experiencing signs of exhaustion due to constant running. The tooting sounds of a train's horn can be distantly heard coming from behind them, with the train itself coming within view. The train closes the distance between it and the horseback riders, thanks to the obvious speed advantage. But as it moves closer and closer to their location, they draw out their respective weapons. One wields two revolver pistols in each hand, while the other carries a revolver rifle. They each carry gleams of anticipation within their eyes as they look at each other, sending a nonverbal message to one another._

Some may be motivated by greed and selfishness. They seek nothing but money, fame and power and will do whatever it takes to ensure that they either have it or maintain it.

* * *

_In the presence of a fierce storm, a slaughter is taking place. A lone blade flashes through the sheets of rainfall that pour across the land, cutting hapless gunmen to nothing but pieces. The young man wielding the blade is walking at a casual place as he faces dozens of enemy blades. They fall upon him relentlessly with the intent to kill. But the cutting edges always fall short of their target before they, along with their wielders, are torn apart by his own. Their blood stains his face and his clothing, while the constant rainfall drenches his entire body. Yet throughout it all, he carries a smile on his face. It is not a smirk of arrogance, a grin of triumph or even a beam of sadism. No, as he is slaying the countless enemies that attack him, his smile is warm and almost pleasant – something out of place with the wasteland he is leaving behind._

Some are motivated by pathology. They are taught the ways of the sinner from the moment they are born or at a very young age, coming to believe that nothing is wrong with what they do. These ways are carried straight into adulthood and can often leave behind a monster who has fully molded itself in atrocity.

* * *

_Inside of a train car, a boy and a girl are running. The girl carries a katana within a cleaver-sized sheath, and the boy possesses a red-bladed katana with a rifle for a sheath. They both have their own looks of seriousness and determination as they rush towards an unknown location. But as they are nearing the destination, they hastily stop themselves at the sight of a lone figure walking out from the shadows. In his hands, he brandishes two rust-colored machetes in a threatening manner. He stands with a tall and intimidating gait, a smile as malicious as the intentions running within his head._

Some are fueled by heavy emotion carried by a troubled past. The perpetrators are long gone and cannot be made to answer whatever crimes they committed against the victim. So the victim unleashes its grief, sorrow and anger on others, even if the targets have nothing to do with whatever tragedy that transpired.

* * *

_A village is burning to the ground. Houses are enveloped within massive groups of fire, collapsing and disintegrating into ash. Bodies of the villagers are lying, mutilated by both the roaring flames and wounds. The presence of the fire is so great that an orange light dominates the sky overhead. Within the center of it all is a lone young man who is sitting on his knees, crying and sobbing in his hands. His constant wailing is the only sound that dominates the crackle of the world as it burns around him._

Others do it simply because they have no choice. Thanks to powers beyond their reach, their freedom of choice is stripped away. They only move by will of a master, and their actions are meant to feed the hunger of both that master and his audience. It matters not what the victim thinks. It matters not whether the victim objects to what it is doing. They may have a heart of gold, only to have it buried under the irredeemable acts they perform against their own will.

* * *

It is easy to mistake all of these kinds of individuals as automatic villains. But that too is nothing more than an opinionated view. As long as there is a speck of light within the darkness, some positive quality that counterbalances the negative, there is always a chance of them becoming just like the heroes of fantasy. The tale told here will be about four children that, despite being tainted by their history and flaws, undergo a journey that will bring them to terms with this very fact. They will not only meet new faces and identities, but face hardships and many obstacles as they progress along this journey. It will be up to them as to how they will resolve the problems they face, both in themselves as well as each other.

Come, my listeners.

Here comes the tale of the children of Ares.


End file.
